Fire screen



Aug. 7, 1934.

FIRE SCREEN Fiied Nov. 5. 1932 Patented Aug. 7, 1934 ...N

1,'susas9o'V OFFICE FIRE SCREEN Elbridge G. Huff, Malden, Mass., assigner to Cutter Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 1932 7 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved frame for re screens and the like, and its object is to provide a frame which is of light weight and of strong and rigid construction, free from gussets,

m braces and other reinforcements heretofore used to prevent racking, and which may be economically manufactured and readily assembled with screen material to provide a durable structure having an attractive appearance. Further ob- N jects relate to details of construction and will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and accompanying drawing which shows certain desirable embodiments of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustration.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a re scre embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of one cornerbf the screen; l

Fig. 3 is a composite perspective view showing the interlocking corner portions or joint of the frame members;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 1 4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a joint showing a modiiied construction; and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing a further modification.

The re screenI section shown in Fig. 1, as illustrative of that class of structures to which my improved frame or sash is particularly adapted, comprises a central portion of suitable screen material 10 having its edges soldered or otherwise secured to rods 11 and 12 which are received Within the transverse and longitudinal frame members and 16 as shown in Fig. 2. rlhe rod 12 preferably'extends beyond the rod 11 and is provided with a threaded end (not shown) which extends through a suitable opening in the transverse frame member 15 and o receives a nut 13 preferably of ornamental shape.

In. accordance with the present. invention the frame is preferably of sheet metal construction and comprises the transversely and longitudinally extending members 15 and 16 respectively, each of which is channel-shaped, having inner and outer Wings 17 and 18 integrally joined by an intermediate web portion 19. The longitudinal edges of each of the wings are preferably bent inwardly as shown in Fig. 4 to provide beveled edge portions which snugly fit about the marginal portions of the screen 10.

'I'he ends of each of the frame members are so shaped to provide complementary interengaging portions which cooperate with other interen section Everett, Mass.,

, Seriali No. 641,427

locking portions of the structure to provide a rigid joint which holds the frame members in assembled position and locks the frame against racking movement, that is distortion from rectangular shape. To this end the wings of one a@ of sections 15 are cut so as to provide mitered portions 20 between the web 19 and their bevelled longitudinal edges, and tabs 21 projecting from their bevelled edges and defining intermediate abutting portions or shoulder in Figs. 2 and 3. The web 19 of the transverse member 15 is also provided with an integral tongue 22 which is bent inwardly at right angles to the web. The ends of the wing of the member 16 are cut so as to provide projections 2i between the web 19 and their bevelled longitudinal edges, and the ends of their bevelled edges are cut to provide mitered portions 25 and intermediate abutting portions 26. The mitered pors, as shown gg;

tions 20 and 25 of the respective sections are 95 preferably cut at 45 angles relative to their web portions, although, if desired, they may be cut at any suitable complementary angles so that the edges of the mitered portions will be aligned in the assembled structure.

In assembling the joint the projections 24 of member 16 are sprung inwardly so as to engage and underlie the mitered portions 20 of member 15 (Fig. i), with the tongue 22 overlapping 4 and engaging the end of the web of the member 16, and the mitered portions 25 are disposed to engage and overlie the inwardly sprung tabs `21, so that the shoulder portions of the latter engage the intermediate portions 26 of member 16, as shown in Fig. 2. assembled the projections 24 and tabs 2l, due to their resiliency. press outwardly against `the complementary mitered portions 20 and 24 respectively, and resist relative movement of the members 15 and 16. Racking or converging pivotal movement of the members 15 and I6 about their abutting portions 26, as well as 1ongitudinal movement of member 15 away from member 16, is restrained by the engagement of the tongue 22 against the web 19.

The ends of each. of the adjoining frame members are similarly constructed to provide interlocking joints, and in the assembled frame the longitudinal members 16 are firmly held against longitudinal and transverse movem relative to the transverse members 15, and by virtue of this joint construction, the entire frame is locked against racking or pivotal movement without the use of gussets, braces or other types of reinforcement.

When "thus ent If desired, the transverse members 15 may be permanently secured to the longitudinal members 16 in any suitable manner, as for example by soldering the projections 24 and tabs 21 to B the underside of the respective mitered portions 20 and 25. Where the frame is to be used for iire screens, each end of the webs 19 of the transverse members 15 maybe provided with an opening 30 through which one of the pro- Jecting ends4 of the rod 12 may pass to receive suitable fastening means such as nuts 13, 13 and links providing pivotal connectionsv with similar screen sections. In such constructions the rods 12 and nuts 13, 13*L firmly hold the transverse members 15 in position and other types of fastening means may bedispensed with.

The joints shown ln Figs. 5 and 6 have the same general construction as in the previously described embodiment and the same reference charactersV have been applied 'to corresponding parts. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5 the transverse member 15 is provided with a split tongue 22',.one portion of which engages the outside of the web of the frame member 16 and its other portion engages the inner side of the web and, as in the previously described embodiment, rmly holds the member 16 in position and locks both members against racking movement;

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6 the tongue 22b is provided with an elongated extension or tip which is bent inwardly at right angles and is received within a suitable opening 31 in the frame member 16. In this modification the tongue not only locks both frame members against racking movement but also rmly secures both memberstogether without the necessity of using any other type of fastening means.

While I have shown certain desirable embodiments of my invention ity is to be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that various changes in shape, arrangement and proportion of parts, as well as the substitution of equivalent elements for those herein show.: and described, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A frame comprising channel shaped members having outer web portions, inwardly extending sides, and inturned flanges at their longitudinal edges, the members meeting at each corner being telescoped together with the sides of onemember overlapping the sides of the other member, the flanges of one member being cut away in line with the anges of the other member and the latter anges extending past the planes of the cut-away anges toward said corner so as to seat on-theedges formed by said cutting away, theend of the web of one member seating against the inner face of the web of the other member and the web of the latter member extending past the plane of the web of the other member and thence bending at right angles along the outer face of the web Aoi! the latter member.

2. A frame comprising channel shaped members having outer web portions, inwardly extending sides, and inturned anges at their 1ongitudinaly edges, the members meeting at each corner being telescoped together with the sides of the outer member overlapping the sides of the inner member, the flanges of one member being cut away in line with the anges o! the other member and the latter flanges extending past the planes of the cut-away flanges toward said corner so as to seat on the edges formed by said cutting away, the end of the web of the inner member seating against the inner face of the web of the outer member and the web of the outer member extending past the plane of the web of the inner member and thence bending at right angles along the outer face of the web of the inner member, and the sides of the outer member terminating in end edges which extend obliquely from the junction of the webs to the junction of the flanges of the two members.

3. A frame comprising channel shaped memibers having outer web portions, inwardly extending sides, and inturned flanges at their longitudinal edges, the members meeting at each corner being telescoped together with the sides of one member overlapping the sides of the other member, the flanges of one member being cut away in line with the anges of the other member and the'latter flanges extending past the planes ofthe cut-away flanges toward said corner so as to seat on the edges formed by said cutting away, the end of the web of one member seating against the inner face of the web of the other member and the web of the latter member extending past the plane of the web oi the other member and thence bending at right angles along the outer face of the web of the latter member, the flanges of each member being inturned at an oblique angle and edges formed by said cutting away being inclined at a corresponding angle so that the edges seat against the ang'es of the other member throughout substantially the full width of the flanges.

4. A frame comprising channel shaped members having outer web portions, inwardly extending sides, and inturned anges at their longitudinal edges, the members meeting at each corner being telescoped together with the sides of the outer member overlapping the sides of the inner member, the flanges of one member being cut away in line with the flanges of the other member and the latter anges extending past the planes of the cut-away flanges toward said corner so as to seat on the edges formed by said cutting away, the end of the web of the inner member seating against the inner face of the web of the outer member and the web of the -outer member extending past the plane of the substantially bisecting the corner, the flanges of each member being inturned at an oblique angle and the edges formed by said cutting away being inclined at a corresponding angle so as to seat against the flanges of the other member substantially in said plane.

5. A frame comprising channel shaped members having outer web portions, inwardly extending sides, and inturned flanges at their longitudinal edges, the members meeting at each corner being telescoped together with the sides of one member overlappingv the sides of the other member, the flanges of one member being cut away in line with. the flanges of the other member and the latter flanges extending past the planes of the cut-away` flanges toward said corner so as to seat on the edges formed by said cutting away, the end of the web of one member seating against the inner face of the web o1 the other member and the web o! 'the latter member extending past theplane of the web ci.' the other member and thence bending at right angles along the outer face of the web of the latter member and thence extending into an opening in the web of the latter member.

6. A frame comprising channel shaped rnembers having outer web portions, inwardly extending sides, and inturned anges at their 1ongitudinal edges, the members meeting at each corner being telescoped together with the sides of one memberoverlapping the sides of the other member, the iianges of one member being cut away in lin'e with the ilanges of the other member and the latter nanges extending past the planes of the cut-away flanges toward said corner so as to seat on the edges formed by said cutting away, the end o! the web of one member seating against the inner face of the web of the other member and the web of the latter ius ' corner being telescoped' together with the sides of one member overlapping the sides of the other member, the iianges of one member being cut away in line with the flanges of the other member and the latter nanges extending past the planes of the cut-away flanges toward said corner so as to seat on the edges formed by said cutting away, the end of theA web of one member seating against the inner face of the web of the other member and the web of the latter member having an extension bent at right angles to the plane of said web and seated against the web of the other member. i

mLBRIDGE G. HUFF. 

